This board is maintained for sharing information of general interest to Club members. Members can submit items by e-mail to Tom Kidd or to the
Club's e-mail address. Please limit submissions to text and internet links (no images, powerpoint presentations, spreadsheets, etc.).

10/8/14-Tom K.: Mea culpa. A few days ago Floyd Hopper sent me a link to a Michael Frye post about this morning's
lunar eclipse. I failed to get it on the board in time for it to be useful. Sorry. Less time-sensitive, and, therefore,
more timely, here is Michael's post about a trip to Colorado for Fall color, pointed out by Tom Frazier:
"Aspen Pilgrimage."

7/1/14-Tom K.: Internet journalist Esther Honig asked a few dozen Photoshop users around the world to beautify a
picture of her. The results reflect cultural differences in perceptions of beauty:
"Before & After."

6/4/14-Tom K.: Congratulations to Merced Camera Club members Jim and Carlene Cunningham, Floyd Hopper, and Andy Tolsma, who all won multiple
awards at the Delicato Winery Photography Show. All accepted prints will be on view at the winery thru June 28. Here
is a list of all winners, in PDF format:
"2014 DELICATO PHOTOGRAPHY SHOW RESULTS."

3/3/14-Sam S.: Advice from John Martin -- "Some thoughts on approaching and photographing total strangers.
It can be done and there are many great photographic opportunities out there":
"On Shooting Strangers…"

2/27/14-Tom K.: These shots of the closing ceremony are the last in Jeff Cable's series from the Sochi
Olympics. The series began with his opening ceremony images (see the 2/8/14 message board entry, below). His posts
worked for me in two ways -- great images, plus a fascinating narrative of his experiences at the Games. You can see any
or all of his posts by scrolling down his page to "Blog Archive" in the right-hand column:
"Closing ceremony - The final photo shoot of the 2014 Winter Olympics."

2/5/14-Tom K.: Brandon Stanton is a street portrait photographer with 2.8 million Facebook followers:
"Humans of New York."

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2/4/14-Tom K.: Galen Rowell called the image known as Earthrise "the most influential environmental
photograph ever taken." This video re-creates the making of the photo by the Apollo 8 astronauts:
"NASA | Earthrise: The 45th Anniversary."

1/31/14-Tom K.: Microsoft Research stitched together 2,368 twenty-two-megapixel images to get a panorama of
Seattle. Then they shot and inserted vignettes featuring members of the Seattle arts community. Here is an introductory
video:
"Making the Gigapixel Artzoom."

1/26/14-Tom K.: For those who did not receive a recent e-mail from "Shooting the West," they have begun promoting
their March 4-9 photography symposium in Winnemucca, NV:
"Shooting the West XXVI."

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1/25/14-Floyd H.: Jim C. received an honorable mention at the Lodi Annual Photography Show for his image "Phone Booth."
You can view his winning image and other winning images at:
"2014 Photography Show Winning Artists."

1/23/14-Tom K.: The "Range of Light Film Festival" is scheduled for February 27 thru March 2, in Yosemite Valley.
From the festival's website -- "The theme is '150 Years of Yosemite,' in honor of the anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s signing of
the Yosemite Grant in 1864." Attendees can purchase tickets for individual sessions or the entire weekend and get
reduced rates for in-park lodging:
"Range of Light Film Festival."

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1/22/14-Robert D.: MCC member Andy Tolsma's photo recently won a "Best of the Year" award on Pixoto.com:
"Four coming at you."

1/13/14-Tom K.: This comes from Sam Shaw via Robert Dayton. The
"Gold Rush Chapter"
is an organization of 16
camera clubs north of us. Here are the results of their 2013 "International." To view images, click on the first image
title, then move though the list using the "next" link next to each image:
"Open Results,"
"Creative Results."

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1/12/14-Tom K.: A mini-workshop from Gary Hart on one of MCC member Jim Cunningham's favorite subjects:
"Border Patrol."

1/4/14-Floyd H.: The Tuolumne County Arts Alliance is sponsoring a photography competition and
exhibition from January 17-February 15. Entries will be accepted January 10 and 11, in Sonora. Additional info and
entry forms are available on line at:
"InFocus Photography Competition and Exhibition."
This has traditionally been a high-quality, well-attended show.

10/20/13-Floyd H.: I drove to Yosemite Friday to check out the fall color. The big leaf maples are at their
peak. The dogwoods and oaks are just beginning to change. The sugar maple tree across from the Chapel is gorgeous.
I posted a couple images from Friday on my
Flickr site.

10/5/13-Tom K.: Many of us keep so many image files that storage and retrieval become an ever increasing drag.
Here's Darwin Wiggett's system for controlling the problem:
"Time -- A Photographer's Best Friend."

2014
January -- Bare Limbs
February -- Burst of Color
March -- Cross or Religious Item
April -- Railroad
May -- Three of a Kind
October -- Silhouette
November -- "S" Curve

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9/19/13-Tom K.: Here's an up-coming photo op. An antique and classic car show will be held Saturday, 9/28,
in Murphys. The event coordinator says, "You are welcome to attend the Concours and take photos.
The event gates open at 8am, cost is $20 per person or $35 for a couple. The winning vehicles are driven across
the main concert stage beginning around 3pm." The event's website:
"The Ironstone Concours d'Elegance."

8/24/13-Tom K.: In anticipation of Ma Nature's next major photo-op, "Rod Planck shares some of his favorite
techniques for the leaves of autumn":
"10 Tips For Fall."

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8/23/13-Tom K.: This column looks at depth of field in a couple of ways that are new to me. This all boils down to how sharp you want
your images to be, and how to achieve the desired degree of sharpness:
"The Practical Side of Depth of Field."

8/17/13-Tom K.: A New York photographer's surrealistic self-portraits:
"Ben Zank."

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8/16/13-Tom K.: The image of Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt and a lightning bolt has become both viral
and controversial. For obvious reasons, some suspect photoshoppery:
"Lightning, Bolt strike in Moscow."

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8/14/13-Tom K.: This piece is subtitled "How to use HDR software to maintain appropriate contrast,
overcome the limitations of the sensor and bring out detail—without overdoing it!":
"Keeping It Real With HDR."

8/8/13-Tom K.: I found this site via a link to his "New York Sliced" portfolio. Enjoyed all the portfolios,
with the possible exception of "Tilt Shift" -- don't really get that one:
"RICHARD SILVER PHOTO."

7/26/13-Tom K.: UK photographer Rupert Vandervell's images from an up-coming book use shadows and light (mostly
shadows) to create dramatic, moody compositions. This is a slideshow that runs automatically. To see a title, place your
cursor anywhere on the image:
"Man On Earth"

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7/25/13-Tom K.: The keyword for this collection is "rustic":
"Cabin Porn"

7/22/13-Tom K.: Quoting from the website -- "FOUND is a curated collection of photography from the National Geographic archives.
In honor of our 125th anniversary, we are showcasing photographs that reveal cultures and moments of the past.
Many of these photos have never been published and are rarely seen by the public ...
We will be adding new voices, stories, and artifacts as we go.":
"FOUND"

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7/21/13-Tom K.: Here's a quote from this piece by Rob Sheppard -- "All photographers should take time to shoot in black-and-white. I've seen how it makes photographers
better, and it can energize you because it pushes you to find new ways of taking pictures.":
"The Lost Art Of Shooting Black-And-White"

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7/20/13-Tom K.: Apparently this is a somewhat famous list that I found cited on a present-day blog. Some good
stuff, but remember that the author is an urban street photographer (hence his disdain for tripods):
"100 Things I Have Learned About Photography."

7/17/13-Tom K.: Utah photographer Howard Jackman posts images from Hill Air Museum, which appears to have similarities to Castle
Museum (although of much of the Hill is indoors). Heavy on HDR and a fish-eye lens:
"'Metal' The Mighty SR-71 Blackbird."

The Nature Photographers' Network has another site with several good forums. At least two of our Club members are regulars. To fully participate requires
a paid membership. To get a feel for the information exchange, click on an image and check out the comments:
"Earth, Sea & Sky™ Landscape Gallery."

7/7/13-Tom K.: Want to display your photo portfolio on the internet without the hassle of a custom-built and
maintained, personal website? Here is a pretty good overview of some of the most popular alternatives, including
some free ones:
"Best Sites for Sharing Photos."

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7/4/13-Tom K.: This piece reminded me of a quote from photographer Henri Carter-Bresson -- “Photographers deal
in things which are continually vanishing and when they have vanished there is no contrivance on earth which can make
them come back again.”:
"Photograph With Shirley."

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7/3/13-Tom K.: Here's a pretty good step-by-step tutorial, from the New York Institute of Photography,
that might be useful tomorrow:
"How to Photograph Fireworks."

6/27/13-Tom F.: Even the most critical judge would have to admit this is sharp.
This picture was taken with a 70,000 x 30,000 pixel camera (2100
MegaPixels.) These cameras are not sold to the public and are being
installed in strategic locations. It can identify a face in a multitude
of people. Place the cursor in the mass of people and double-click a
couple times or use the + - bar on the left of the screen to zoom in/out:
"Gigapixel.com >> 2011 Stanley Cup."

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6/26/13-Tom K.: Progress? I remember, from many years ago, developing and printing my own film. This
involved a lot of chemicals, timers, an enlarger, trial and error, darkness and time. Contrast that with this:
"Let's Cafe latte printer."

6/22/13-Tom K.: A brief item in a lengthy post on "theonlinephotographer.com" referenced this New York street
photographer, and praised the way his captions complement the images:
"Humans of New York."

6/21/13-Tom K.: The full moon tomorrow and Sunday night will be the closest and largest full moon of 2013 -- a so-
called "supermoon." Locally, Saturday night is predicted to be clear and Sunday cloudy. Here is a video of a
picturesque moon-rise in New Zealand, with some moon photo how-to hints:
"Full Moon Silhouettes."

6/15/13-Tom K.: Here's an encouraging wildflower report from Plumas County. Be sure to click on the thumbnail next to the
June 12 post:
"2013 Bloom Blog."

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6/13/13-Tom K.: This cautionary blogpost refers to a specific contest, but it applies to online contests in
general. Before you enter, study the rules:
"Photo Contest WARNING!"

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6/12/13-Tom K.: Rob Sheppard joins the discussion about alternatives to Photoshop's Cloud Suite.
He says,"There is very little the average, yet sophisticated digital nature photographer cannot do if he/she has Lightroom,
plus the latest version of Photoshop Elements, and possibly, Nik Software Viveza 2:"
"Do We Need Photoshop?"

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6/11/13-Tom K.: Just ran across this smartphone app. Anyone spending time in or near mountains should find it
entertaining and informative:
"PeakFinder Mobile."

If you click on the following link, find the box with coordinates near the top left of the screen, click on the adjacent
down arrow,and input these coordinates "36°36'N; 118°03'W" you should see the view from the entrance to the Best
Western Motel at the southern end of Lone Pine. Drag the cursor left, right, up, down to explore.
Aim due west for my favorite Sierra view.
Hint: you only see names of peaks if their tops are below the vertical center of the screen:
"PeakFinder."

6/1/13-Tom K.: Vivian Maier was a nanny in New York and Chicago in the last half of the twentieth century.
She was also a world-class street photographer who died leaving 100,000+ unseen (except by her) negatives in plastic bins in a storage
facility. This video tells the story of their, and her, discovery:
"Vivian Maier, street photographer and nanny."

5/30/13-Tom K.: Pro Gary Hart tells the story of one of his best-known images. If you've shot Mono Lake's South
Tufa at sunrise, some of this may be familiar:
"ROADS LESS TRAVELED."

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5/29/13-Tom K.: "The Online Photographer" with opinions about the long-term impact of some features of Photoshop:
"PSDs and Permanence."

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5/28/13-Tom K.: His online bio says, "Marc Adamus is a landscape photographer based in Corvallis, Oregon.
The visual drama and artistry of his photographs are born of a keen eye for the many moods of Nature and a
life-long passion for the wilderness." Here's a link to his gallery titled:
"NEW Work: California, Winter and Spring of 2013."

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5/27/13-Tom K.: Esteemed photographer Wayne Miller recently passed away. He had some interesting things to say
about the evolution of his photography in the video included in this post:
"The Life and Work of Wayne Miller."

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5/26/13-Tom K.: This post is about the some of the highest-priced photographs known. Click on
"An interesting list" at the beginning of paragraph four to see all of the images:
"Two X."

5/20/13-Tom K.: This informative "Outdoor Photographer" piece is sub-titled "How to save money and find the best
lenses to match up with your shooting style:"
"Choosing A Lens Set For Nature Photography." The title is a little misleading, since recommendaions are divided
into "landscape, wildlife, travel, and sports/action" specialties.

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5/19/13-Tom K.: My digital image files have been housed in a combination of hard drives and CDs. I realized that they need to be
consolidated and somehow protected from loss due to computer crashes, etc. They have no great value, except to me, but I'd
hate to lose them. So, I've been trying to research how to store them in a way that protects them from loss. Here's one pro's
system that would be overkill for me, but suggests several possible storage strategies:
"HOW I MAKE SURE MY PHOTOS ARE BACKED UP PROPERLY." For the moment, I'm saving my files to one computer, and backing
them up on a 64 Gb flash drive. Best Buy currently has such a drive on sale for $49.99.

5/17/13-Robert D.: Congratulations, Floyd Hopper! Floyd's photo
prints of "Light Pink Orchids", White Orchids and Buds", and "Golden
Freesia" were accepted in the Carnegie Spring Juried Art Show in Turlock,
CA. The gallery is at the
Carnegie Arts Center, and the show runs from
May 4--June 30.

4/11/13-Tom K.: This piece in "Outdoor Photographer" is sub-titled "Take these tips back to the places you think
you’ve worn out and you’ll find that there are infinite possibilities for discovery and images":
"Revisit Without Reprise."

3/26/13-Floyd H.: I drove up Highway 140 to El Portal yesterday morning and the redbuds are at their
peak. The only patch of poppies was on the south side just as you crossed
the detour bridge around the slide. Other than that no poppies.

3/18/13-Tom K.: Here's a good assessment of wildflower status in some favorite California spots,
from nature photographer Jason Branz:
"Wildflower Season has begun…"

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3/17/13-Tom K.: Yesterday I drove up Hwy 140 toward Yosemite to check out the Merced Canyon wildflowers. Given this winter's
lack of rain, I wasn't expecting much. I was pleasantly surprised. The bloom wasn't great, but not bad. Both redbud and poppies appeared
to a week or two away from peak, although images from previous years showed earlier peaks. Here are two examples of the poppies:

3/14/13-Tom F.: Memory cards don't last forever! If you just take pictures, store them on a card, then delete them by either deletion or
by moving them to your computer, you should take one more step to keep your cards healthy.
After a shooting session, download the pictures, then reformat the card in the camera.
The camera then writes a clean directory, dispensing with leftover and unrelated entries.
Reformat the card frequently. Read more:
"Memory Cards – How to Extend Their Life and Keep Them Healthy."

2/14/13-Tom K.: Some observations from my visit to the Merced National Wildlife Refuge last Sunday: There were
thousands of geese, mostly Ross' geese, I think, on and around the water. Saw some good flocks of sandhill cranes near,
but not in, the public access part of the Refuge. Plenty of ducks and the other, smaller waterfowl that winter here.
Finally, regarding a controversy from our last meeting -- NO CORN! (I think the elusive cornfields are near the
entrance to the nearby San Luis NWR).

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2/12/13-Tom F.: The Merced Camera Club Board of Directors decided to become more modern and join the world of direct digital submission of our images.
We have joined with many other camera clubs in northern California and will use Photoclub Services - a division of Software Pursuits located in San Mateo, California.
We are now in transition to that software.
Our submission web site is: http://merced.photoclubservices.com/
Competitors will login there with the username and password that has been provided to them.
You can upload titles and/or images into each competition: Color prints, monochrome prints, On Assignment, Projected Color B, and Projected color A, AA,AAA.
Feel free to explore the site to discover lots of other features as well.
Please plan to submit your March entries soon, so we can iron out any potential issues that pop up.
Thanks, happy shooting,and good luck in the competitions.

10/18/12-Tom K.: I was asked how "Multiplicity," the image currently on this site's homepage, was made.
Here's the recipe I copied (I used an old print of jelly bellies, rather than actual candy):
"Candies Photographed in Water Drops."

9/25/12-Tom K.: Eastern Sierra Fall color appears to be peaking early at the highest levels.
Here's an overview from Michael Frye. Be sure to check out the imbedded links to other sites:
"Autumn Begins!"

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9/11/12-Tom K.: Here's a New York Times essay on the democratization (maybe trivialization?) of photography.
Including -- "It is estimated that 380 billion images were taken last year, most with a camera phone. A total of 300
million photos are uploaded on Facebook every month."
"In an Age of Likes, Commonplace Images Prevail."

8/12/12--Tom K.: Mark your calendar for Friday, August 24, 7 pm: The Merced County Historical Society will show
"Exploring Merced County Through the Lens of the Merced Camera Club," at the
Merced Theater, 301 West Main Street, Merced.

6/20/12--Tom K.: Congratulations to three of our members who won acclimation at Delicato Winery's
annual photography show. Andy Tolsma, Robert Dayton and Floyd Hopper all received honorable mention
awards, and Floyd took first place in the Nature/Landscape division with his print of a magnolia, and second
place in the "other" category with "Camelia in a Tea Cup."

12/15/11--Tom K.: "Focus stacking" is a technique for increasing depth of field beyond the limits of photo equipment. Here's a post on the subject from apogeephoto.com: "How to Get "Tack Sharp" Photo Images."

6/4/11--Tom K.: Many of us have photographed the Eastern Sierra ghost town of Bodie in Summer and Fall. If you've wondered how it looks in Winter, here's a video by amateur film-maker Daniel Gregoire: "Bodie."

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5/25/11--Tom K.: On May 16, Delta Airline passenger Stefanie Gordon took an iPhone photo through the plane window. Then she forwarded the image to some of her social network friends. A blogpost on MSNBC.com says, "Gordon's now-famous photo of the space shuttle Endeavour soaring through the clouds got her an overwhelming amount of attention -- her 15 minutes of fame, Internet style. It also landed her smack in the middle of an ethical and legal debate that may be as important as the future of the Internet itself." Read the rest of the post at: "That famous space shuttle photo: When is sharing stealing?"

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6/15 Tom K.: For those who missed last week's Club Picnic, the following awards were presented: